Executive Errors
by gglovebug
Summary: Response to this week's Unbound Improv Challenge. Involves current events and that's all I'm going to say...


Disclaimer: All rights to CSI: Crime Scene Investigation and its characters belong to CBS/Alliance Atlantis/Jerry Bruckheimer Television/Anthony E. Zuiker. No copyright infringement is intended.

Spoilers: None that I am aware of.  
Rating: PG-13

A/N: Written in response to the Unbound Improve Challenge of 07/19/04 which came on the heels of the Jorja Fox and George Eads firings over at CSI and CBS. The story idea came to me as I was in the midst of writing my letters and emails of protest. After seeing the challenge first and last lines, I decided to incorporate my story into the challenge. This is meant purely as comic relief for the situation. The first and last lines are provided, and there is a 1,000 word limit.

XxxOOOxxX

**There was something growing in the break room fridge again.**

"Aww man! This is just wrong!" Nick whined as he wrinkled his face in disgust and closed the refrigerator door. Once again Grissom had left something unidentifiable and completely rank in the community refrigerator.

"He doesn't listen to me. Sara, you've got to be the one to tell him this time."

Sara's jaw dropped as she looked up sharply from the magazine she was reading and responded to the back of Nick's head as stood up from his crouching position in front of the fridge.

"Me? Like he listens to anything _I_ say. Besides, it should be evident by now that he's never going to change–"

"Who's never going to change?" Grissom questioned innocently as he entered the break room to pass out the evening's assignments.

"Uh…" Sara hesitated and looked over at Nick, giving him a _See what you got me into? _face. Nick, in turn, looked over at Warrick, who merely glanced covertly at him from over the newspaper he was reading while casually lounging on the arm of the sofa. He knew better than to get involved in this. Finally, both Sara and Nick gave Catherine a pleading look, but she simply peered up from her coffee in mid-sip and gave them a discreet shake of her head as she grinned.

Sara sighed. _What the heck,_ she thought. _Not like I don't know what it's like to be the sacrificial lamb._

"You, Grissom. You left another one of your experiments in the community fridge and it's ruining our lunches."

Grissom raised his eyebrows in recognition of his oversight. "Oh… I must have forgotten that one when I moved them all over to my new refrigerator in my office. Sorry about that. The department wouldn't approve the funds for a bigger fridge in here, but I managed to get a grant for a small one of my own; that way my experiments won't bother you all any more. I'll move it in a minute." Feeling that minor issue was taken care of, he raised his hand holding the assignment papers. "Now, anyone interested in our case for the night?"

Everyone simply exchanged quiet, astonished glances between one another and then turned their attention back to Grissom.

"Yeah… What have you got for us tonight, Gris?" Warrick asked.

"Two DBs at the Tangiers. Brass says suspicious circs. It's a high profile case, so we'll all be working it together."

"Why is it high profile?" Intrigued, Catherine moved closer to Grissom.

"Well, it appears the vics are two Television Network execs. They've been in the news more than usual recently as they just fired a couple of actors on what I understand is a very popular program." Grissom responded.

"Oh yeah, I heard about that." Sara nodded. "I read somewhere that the fans were really irate and started an online petition, a mail-in campaign, as well as calls and emails."

Grissom nodded thoughtfully. "Hmm. Well, Cavallo wants this solved as quickly and quietly as possible. Under the circumstances, let's make sure we double check everything. Remember the last ' Hollywood ' case we had…"

"Who could forget?" Nick huffed, remembering the Haviland case barely two years ago. It was as if the CSIs were the ones on trial, not the accused. He didn't want to go through that again.

"Okay guys, we better get moving. Who's riding with me?" Catherine asked as she poured her coffee down the sink.

"I'll ride shotgun with you, Cath." Warrick answered.

"I'll take the back seat." Nick chimed in, causing Warrick to frown imperceptibly.

"Sara, that leaves you and me. I'll meet you in the parking garage."

"Got it."

XxxOOOxxX

The CSIs arrived at the Tangiers, to be met by Brass outside the hotel room. He nodded to them as they drew nearer, chuckling to himself. With all five of them arriving at the crime scene en-masse, each with their kits at their sides, they looked like the Geek version of the Mod-Squad approaching.

"What have you got, Jim?" Grissom asked upon reaching Brass.

"Les Morron…" Grissom arched a brow at the last name and Brass chuckled. "Two Rs. But I know… I'd change my name too." After clarifying, he continued, "And a Nancy Nielson. Both here in Vegas getting ready to promote another new spin-off of their number one television program."

Grissom peered into the hotel room as Sara and Nick stepped towards the male body sitting in a chair at a table in front of the large picture window which looked out onto the bright lights of the Vegas strip. Immediately he noticed the prescription medication bottle sitting on the table and a note next to it.

"From here I'd say this looks like suicide to me, Jim. Why the suspicious circs?"

"Well, he isn't a very popular guy right now. Between the fans protesting his firing of two pretty popular stars and other actors, writers, and producers all facing a potential loss of their jobs if the ratings for the show go down… There are a lot of people with motive."

Grissom pondered this for a moment as he realized there was no other body in the room.

"I thought you said there were two victims? Where's Ms. Nielson?"

Brass hiked his thumb over his shoulder, indicating the hotel room next door. "In there. You're gonna love this, Gil." As he led Grissom into the second hotel room, Grissom blinked, his eyebrows rose and his mouth opened slightly in disbelief. There were literally thousands of letters scattered all over the floor and the bed. Indeed, there wasn't an inch on the floor that wasn't covered. In the midst of all of them was the body of a woman laying face down, a large contusion at her right temple.

"I presume these are some of the letters from the irate fans?" Grissom asked, astonished at the sheer number of them.

Brass nodded. "It gets better. The mailroom downstairs says they have cart after cart overflowing with these letters. After they dumped the first few cartfuls in here, Ms. Nielson told them to keep the rest downstairs, she didn't have room for any more."

Grissom nodded, "Thanks, Jim. We'll take it from here," as he carefully stepped into the room to investigate the crime scene.

XxxOOOxxX

Hours later back at the lab, Sara, Warrick, and Catherine all stood around the layout table where evidence from the crime scene earlier in the shift lay before them. They were waiting on Grissom, who rounded the corner and stepped inside.

"Well guys, what do we have?" Grissom asked.

Sara responded first. "According to Doc Robbins, Ms. Nielson died as the result of a massive Subdural Hematoma, caused by a blow to the right temporal region of her skull. He's officially ruling it an Accidental Death. The evidence points to Ms. Nielson slipping on the letters covering her floor while she was walking around in stocking feet. She fell and struck her head on the corner of the bedside table. It was basically like slipping on a giant banana peel."

"Okay. What about our other victim?" he asked, looking towards Warrick and Catherine.

"Doc Robbins says the COD for Mr. Morron is accidental too – but in his case, Accidental Overdose. His stomach contents were the same as the near empty bottle of anti-stress prescription medication that was by the body. Apparently he was so stressed out by the media attention, emails and calls he was getting about his decision to fire those two actors that he didn't realize the maximum safe dosage for his prescription was only two times a day. The man was popping 'em like candy," Warrick replied.

"But didn't he leave some kind of suicide note?" Grissom asked.

Catherine looked at Warrick and he nodded. She continued where he left off. "Turns out the note is from Mr. Morron. We ran it through Ronnie and he confirmed that it is his handwriting, based on a sample provided by his secretary to compare it to." She paused. "However, it's not a suicide note. It's actually a statement he was composing for the press regarding the firings."

"What did it say?" Grissom asked as he picked up the paper and donned his glasses to read it for himself.

Catherine continued, "Something about realizing the enormity of the mistake he had made in firing the two actors and that he had reconsidered his decision and was going to bring them back. He didn't anticipate the incredibly huge backlash from the fans in response to the firing. He got a glimpse of how the ratings would eventually suffer and how much money the network would be out if they lost their number one show. He was basically apologizing to the fans and the entire cast of the show for not realizing how important and irreplaceable they all were."

"Hmm…" Grissom looked up from the note and placed it back on the table. "I guess that goes to show you the old adage is true."

"What old adage is that?" Catherine asked as both Sara and Warrick looked on with confusion.

Grissom cocked his head and smirked. "Don't bite the hand that feeds you."

With that, they all started gathering up the evidence to store in the evidence locker. Catherine turned to grasp a storage box when Grissom noticed a yellow stain on the back of her pants.

"Um… Catherine? Is that mustard on your…" He motioned with his hand at her backside.

Catherine winced. "Yes. Since your experiment ruined Nick's lunch, he bought a burger on our way to the scene. He left it on the front seat of the Denali and I sat on it on our way back. I didn't have any spare clothes in my locker so I've been stuck walking around like this ever since. I told Nicky when I caught him he was going to be wearing mustard in some very conspicuous places!"

"Where is Nick anyway?" Sara asked. "He can't be _that_ scared of you, can he?" She laughed.

Warrick chuckled in response.

At that very moment Archie walked by the lab.

**"Nick's in the locker room hiding from Catherine," Archie replied. **

FIN


End file.
